Networking has been the key to a surge of netball teams at Waitara High School, adding to the growth in the sport.  

The school saw a 400 per cent increase since 2019, where only one team was represented in the secondary school senior grade.

While Covid had an impact last year, it still managed to put two teams together – one senior and a youth team.

This year, Waitara High School has increased its numbers with four senior teams and one youth team.

Waitara High School sports coordinator Julia Lee said she’s worked hard at building relationships.

“I try to get all the codes and network for the future,” she said.

Her work has been successful because a member of the public asked if they could coach a team next year because she attended games on Saturday.

“My immediate answer, of course, is ‘yes.’”

Her philosophy is simple too.

“If I can build a relationship with a team players will come back. If a coordinator/organiser can build relationships with coaches, coaches will come back.”

The change in direction didn’t come without its challenges.

Even this year, it was touch and go whether the school was going to field any teams.

Julia went ahead with trials, despite not having coaches committed from the school community and also from local clubs.

Thankfully, family members of players came forward to coach once trials were completed.

Last year, the school trialled and selected four teams before Covid. Julia said the senior team lacked commitment and she pulled the team from the competition.

“[That] caused an uproar within families and community. The junior ‘B’ team also lacked commitment and dissolved themselves.”

This year, eight Waitara High School players trialled for representative teams, six were selected and five are participating in the programme.

“I think that’s pretty good.”

Julia is already looking ahead and thinking about the next phase for the school’s players.

This includes where players will go when they leave school and what club would suit them best.

With Raukura’s promotion into the premier one competition of the Bayleys premier netball league, there is hope local players want to strive to play for the team.

Adding to the success, Tysons East are six-time defending champions.

It’s not only Waitara High School that’s seen an increase.

Teams at New Plymouth Girls’ High School (NPGHS) saw a 16 per cent rise.

In 2019, it fielded 27 teams across senior and youth grades, 28 last year and up to 32 this season.

NPGHS netball administrator and premier coach Leigh Laurence said the increase is thanks to an ‘ever-increasing roll.’

“And I guess the number of people moving to Taranaki is the reason for the roll increasing,” she said.

“We’re not doing anything too different than we have done in past years.”

Sacred Heart Girls College is also on the receiving end of an increase.

It has two more team than last year, up to 15 with 14 teams in 2019.

There are also 86 males under 12 playing in the junior competition, with 12 playing in the senior and premier grades.

Despite Covid, netball remained the most participated sport in New Zealand in 2020. It held off growing sports basketball and volleyball along with traditional codes football and rugby for the top spot.

Locally, netball is the most popular sport for secondary school students.

Article added: Monday 21 June 2021